DA bows out of localdeputy's shooting investigation[LUBBOCK, TX]

PoliceOne Staff Report(LUBBOCK, Texas) -- The Lubbock County District Attorney has recused himself from investigating the fatal shooting of a man by a county sheriff's deputy. Last Friday the case was transferred to the Dawson County District Attorney.

Deputy Anthony McAdoo shot and killed Jose Cavazos Jr., 44, after the man allegedly threatened him and others with "an unknown object," according to the Lubbock Avalanche Journal.

Bill Sowder, the Lubbock county attorney, bowed out of the investigation because he provides legal counsel to the sheriff's office. He asked Dawson County attorney, Ricky Smith to take over the case.

On Dec. 1 Smith met with Texas Ranger Warren Yeager, who is investigating the shooting at the request of Lubbock County Sheriff David Gutierrez's.

On Sept. 26 Cavazos allegedly rammed a Children's Protective Services vehicle after social workers went to his parent's house to remove his children from his custody, the Avalanche Journal reported.

According to the sheriff's report, Cavazos rammed his pickup truck into the social workers' car and then chased one of them with a knife.

When deputies arrived they commanded Cavazos to drop the knife and give himself up. The report states that Cavazos dropped the knife, but that McAdoo shot at the suspect twice because he made a threatening movement with "an unknown object," according to the Journal.

Cavazos' family believes the deputy's use of deadly force was unjustified.

"The reason they shot him is because he wouldn't kneel down. He was just murdered," Cavazos' father, Jose Sr., told the Journal.

McAdoo has been placed on paid administrative leave, a standard procedure, until his case can be heard by a grand jury.

"Until he's cleared by both a grand jury and a psychologist, he won't be put back to work," Chief Sheriff's Deputy Paul Scarborough told the Journal.